I'm a PhD student on a study permit. I have 1560 hours of Graduate Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant experience under NOC 41201. I also have 2 years of qualifying foreign work experience which makes me eligible under FSW.
My question: Does my on-study-permit TA/RA experience satisfy the "12 months of Canadian work experience" requirement for the new Researchers with Canadian Work Experience category draw announced February 18, 2026?
I understand this experience:
Counts toward FSW minimum eligibility
Does NOT count for CEC Does NOT earn CRS points
But the researchers category rules don't explicitly exclude it the way CEC does. Has anyone confirmed whether IRCC treats "Canadian work experience" in the category instructions the same way as CEC, or differently?
My question: Does my on-study-permit TA/RA experience satisfy the "12 months of Canadian work experience" requirement for the new Researchers with Canadian Work Experience category draw announced February 18, 2026?
I understand this experience:
Counts toward FSW minimum eligibility Does NOT count for CEC Does NOT earn CRS pointsBut the researchers category rules don't explicitly exclude it the way CEC does. Has anyone confirmed whether IRCC treats "Canadian work experience" in the category instructions the same way as CEC, or differently?
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